(1) Introduction: Gastrointestinal parasites (GIPs) are one of the most common causes of disease in the world. Clinical diagnosis of most parasitic diseases is difficult because they do not produce characteristic symptoms. (2) Methods: The PubMed, Science Direct, and Wiley Online Library medical databases were reviewed using the following phrases: "parasitic infections and diagnostics", "intestinal parasites", "gastrointestinal parasites", "parasitic infections and diagnostics", and their combinations. (3) Results and Conclusions: Correct diagnosis of GIP involves determining the presence of a parasite and establishing a relationship between parasite invasion and disease symptoms. The diagnostic process should consider the possibility of the coexistence of infection with several parasites at the same time. In such a situation, diagnostics should be planned with consideration of their frequency in each population and the local epidemiological situation. The importance of the proper interpretation of laboratory test results, based on good knowledge of the biology of the parasite, should be emphasized. The presence of the parasite may not be causally related to the disease symptoms. Due to wide access to laboratories, patients often decide to perform tests themselves without clinical justification. Research is carried out using various methods which are often unreliable. This review briefly covers current laboratory methods for diagnosing the most common gastrointestinal parasitic diseases in Europe. In particular, we provide useful information on the following aspects: (i) what to look for and where to look for it (suitability of feces, blood, duodenal contents, material taken from endoscopy or biopsy, tissue samples, and locations for searching for eggs, cysts, parasites, parasite genetic material, and characteristics of immune responses indicating parasitic infections); (ii) when material should be collected for diagnosis and/or to check the effectiveness of treatment; (iii) how-that is, by what methods-laboratory diagnostics should be carried out. Here, the advantages and disadvantages of direct and indirect methods of detecting parasites will be discussed. False-positive or false-negative results are a problem facing many tests. Available tests have different sensitivities and specificities. Therefore, especially in doubtful situations, tests for the presence of the pathogen should be performed using various available methods. It is important that the methods used make it possible to distinguish an active infection from a past infection. Finally, we present laboratory "case reports", in which we will discuss the diagnostic procedure that allows for the successful identification of parasites. Additionally, we briefly present the possibilities of using artificial intelligence to improve the effectiveness of diagnosing parasitic diseases.

Eun Jeong Won, Ji Seung Jung, Jun Hyung Lee, Hyun Jung Choi, Seung Jung Kee, Soo Hyun Kim, Myung Geun Shin, Jong Hee Shin, and Soon Pal Suh Department of Laboratory Medicine, Chonnam National University Medical School, Gwangju, Korea Background: Because of a lack of quality control (QC) materials, stool examination has not been standardised. This study examined intestinal parasites in diarrhea specimens to manufacture and evaluate the performance stability of QC materials for stool examination. Methods: This study examined diarrhea specimens submitted for stool culture. Microscopic examination was performed using the direct smear and formalin-ether concentration method (Military General Laboratory, MGL). Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kits (R-Biopharm AG, Germany) and xTAG Gastrointestinal Pathogen Panel (Luminex Corp., USA) were used for the three major protozoa: Cryptosporidium parvum, Giardia lamblia, and Entamoeba histolytica. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was performed for Dientamoeba fragilis and Blastocystis hominis. The QC materials for stool examination were generated using Diphyllobothrium nihonkaiense ova. The manufactured QC materials were evaluated under different storage conditions, with varying preservatives, temperatures, and storage times. Results: From November 2015 to April 2016, 82 diarrhea specimens were collected and tested. All results from microscopy and ELISA were negative; C. parvum (n=2) and G. lamblia (n=1) were detected by xTAG, while D. fragilis (n=10) and B. hominis (n=2) were detected by PCR. Highand low-concentration QC materials were manufactured. Using the high-concentration QC material, ova were observed in all storage conditions using MGL. Using the low-concentration QC material, the ova were observed until 14 days, but not after 3 weeks. Conclusions: It should be considered for making QC materials for stool examinations that focus on D. fragilis and B. hominis frequently found in Korea and with the caution to the low-concentration of QC materials could be unstable. (J Lab Med Qual Assur 2017;39:90-96)

Intestinal parasitosis in the population of the Yemen Arab Republic. The present work is a report on the various parasitic infections in the Yemeni population during the period 1980-1982. Specimens were received and examined in the Parasitology Department of the Central Public Health Laboratory at Sana'a. Over 37.000 stool specimens and 25.000 urine specimens formed the subject of this study. 53% of the stool specimens were positive for intestinal parasites. T. trichiura, A. lumbricoides and G. lamblia had the highest prevalence. Fasciola ova were found in 0.5% of specimens. N. americanus and A. duodenale were both identified. S. mansoni was detected in 6% of stool specimens and S. haematobium in 2% of urine specimens. Published in Tropical and geographical medicine (1985)

other disorders. An Ova & Parasite (O&P) test or an E. histolytica fecal antigen assay is the proper assay for intestinal infections. Since antibodies may Amoebiasis, or amoebic dysentery, is an infection of the intestines caused by a parasitic amoeba Entamoeba histolytica. Amoebiasis can be present with no, mild, or severe symptoms. Symptoms may include lethargy, loss of weight, colonic ulcerations, abdominal pain, diarrhea, or bloody diarrhea. Complications can include inflammation and ulceration of the colon with tissue death or perforation, whic Amoebiasis, or amoebic dysentery, is an infection of the intestines caused by a parasitic amoeba Entamoeba histolytica. Amoebiasis can be present with no, mild, or severe symptoms. Symptoms may include lethargy, loss of weight, colonic ulcerations, abdominal pain, diarrhea, or bloody diarrhea. Complications can include inflammation and ulceration of the colon with tissue death or perforation, which may result in peritonitis. Anemia may develop if there is prolonged gastric bleeding. Cysts of Entamoeba can survive for up to a month in soil or for up to 45 minutes under fingernails. Invasion of the intestinal lining may result in bloody diarrhea. If the parasite reaches the bloodstream it can spread through the body, most frequently ending up in the liver where it can cause amoebic liver abscesses. Liver abscesses can occur without previous diarrhea. Diagnosis is made by stool examination using microscopy, but it can be difficult to distinguish E. histolytica from other harmless entamoeba species. An increased white blood cell count may be present in severe cases. The most accurate test is finding specific antibodies in the blood, though the antibody test may remain positive following treatment. Bacterial colitis can result in similar symptoms. Prevention of amoebiasis is by improved sanitation, including separating food and water from faeces. There is no vaccine. There are two sets of treatment options depending on the location of the infection: amoebiasis in tissues is treated with either metronidazole, tinidazole, nitazoxanide, dehydroemetine or chloroquine, and luminal infection is treated with diloxanide furoate or iodoquinoline. Effective treatment against all stages of the disease may require a combination of medications. Infections without symptoms may be treated with just one antibiotic, and infections with symptoms are treated with two antibiotics. Amoebiasis is present all over the world, though most cases occur in the developing world. It is estimated that approximately 50 million people worldwide are infected with Entamoeba histolytica each year, with approximately 100,000 deaths among them (i.e. approximately two deaths per thousand cases). The…

Abstract Background : Numerous studies have been carried out on assessing the prevalence of intestinal parasites infections (IPIs) among preschool and school-age children in Ethiopia, but there is lack of study systematically gathered and analyzedinformation for policymakers. Therefore, the aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to provide a summary on prevalence, geographical distribution and trends of IPIs among preschool and school-age childrenin Ethiopia. Methods :The search were carried out in Medline via PubMed, Scopus, Science Direct, Web of Science, and Google Scholar from 1996to July2019 for studies describing prevalence of IPIs among preschooland school-age children. We conducted meta-regression to understand the trends and the source of heterogeneity and pooled the prevalence using ‘metaprop’ command using STATA software version 14. Results : Eighty-three(83) studies examining 56,786 fecal specimens were included. The prevalence of IPIs was 48 %( 95%CI: 42% to 53%) and showedsignificantly decreasing trends 17% (95% CI: 2.5% to 32%) for each consecutive 6 years) and was similar in males and females. The pooled prevalence in years 1997–2002, 2003–2008, 2009–2014 and >2014 was 71% (95% CI: 57% to 86%), 42% (95% CI: 27% to 56%), 48% (95% CI: 40% to 56%) and 42% (95% CI: 34% to 49%), respectively. Poly-parasitism was observed in 16% (95% CI: 13% to 19 %,) of the cases. Conclusion: Intestinal parasite infections are highly prevalent among preschool and school-age children and well distributed across the regional states of Ethiopia. Southern and Amhara regional states carry the highest burden.We observed significant decreasing trends in prevalence of IPIs among preschool and school-age Ethiopian children over the last two decades.Therefore, this study is important to locate the geographical distribution and identified high risk areas that should be prioritized further interventions, which complement global efforts towards elimination of IPIs infections by 2020

Abstract Background : Numerous studies have been carried out on assessing the prevalence of intestinal parasites infections (IPIs) among preschool and school age children in Ethiopia, however, there was no study to gather and systematically analyze this information for policy makers. Methods : We searched Medline via PubMed, Scopus, Science Direct, Web of Science (ISI), and Google Scholar and local peer-reviewed journals published from inception to 2019 for studies describing prevalence of IPIs among preschool and school age children. We conducted meta-regression to understand the trend and the source of heterogeneity and pooled the prevalence using ‘metaprop’ command using STATA software (Intercooled, version 14, STATA Corp, College Station, TX). Results : Eighty three (83) studies examining 56,786 fecal specimens were included. The prevalence of IPIs was 48 %( 95%CI: 42% to 53%) and showed a gradual, but significantly decreasing trends 17% (95% CI: 2.5% to 32%) for each consecutive 6 years) and was similar in males and females. The pooled prevalence in years 1997–2002, 2003–2008, 2009–2014 and >2014 was 71% (95% CI: 57% to 86%), 42% (95% CI: 27% to 56%), 48% (95% CI: 40% to 56%) and 42% (95% CI: 34% to 49%), respectively. Poly-parasitism was observed in 16% (95% CI: 13% to 19 %,) of children while, single parasite infection was observed in 36 %( 95% CI: 30% to 41%). Conclusion: IPIs are highly prevalent and well distributed across the regional states of Ethiopia. Southern and Amhara regional states carry the highest burden. We observed a gradual, but significant decreasing trends in prevalence of IPIs among Ethiopian children over the last two decades.

measure daily stool weight and analyze the stool for parasites or laxatives; stool weight higher … recommend a stool specimen for ova and par¬ asites (with subsequent purged stool specimen if … pneumonia. Do a stool culture and up to three stool analyses for ova and parasites. Be sure